Poor communes to benefit from WB funded rural project




Ha Noi, Nov. 25 (VNA) -- Poor communes in central coastal provinces and southern provinces will benefit from a community-based rural infrastructure construction project funded by the World Bank.

The project will be carried out in 534 poor communes in 12 provinces: Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Lam Dong, Binh Thuan and Binh Phuoc during the period from 2001 to 2005.

In the first year (2001), 29 of 60 communes in the central coastal provinces will receive about VND 2 billion (USD 142,000) each to build small-sized projects on transport, irrigation, water and electricity supply, health care centres and schools.

To well implement the project, a conference was jointly held in Quang Ngai province on Nov. 23 and 24 by the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the World Bank with the participation of representatives of the central coastal provinces.

Participants discussed necessary preparations for the project, including organization of the provincial project management board, selection of guides, technical assistance groups and a training plan.--VNA